Itchy eyes, a tickle in the back of the throat, the sniffles, and that one dreaded sneeze can only mean one thing: allergies. Seasonal allergies affect millions of Americans each year. However, allergies are not a direct cause from the allergens themselves. Allergies are the result of a faulty immune system and the hyper sensitivity to a harmless allergen and from there, the immune systems does everything it can to do destroy it.

There are many traditional medicine treatments for allergies such as allergy shots, antihistamines, and cortisone drugs. These options provide a temporary fix for allergies, much like a Band-Aid. They are designed to treat the symptoms, but not the underlying root of the problem. These treatments can also cause unwanted side effects, such as drowsiness and immune system suppression as well as an over-reliance on medications. These side effects have motivated many people to search for alternative approaches like acupuncture and Oriental medicine to manage their allergies.

Fortunately, there are holistic methods that can be used to combat allergies. Here are a few:

Lifestyle eating modifications

Avoiding sugar, fruit juices (especially for children), wheat and white flour, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils and pasteurized dairy products is almost always helpful. Diet directly affects the functionality of our body’s systems.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture takes a look at the underlying cause of allergy from a unique, Eastern culture perspective. An imbalance in the energy in the body, called Qi, can be a contributing factor to allergy sensitivities. Acupuncture aims to balance this energy and remedy the underlying causes of these sensitivities.

Allergy / Sensitivity Elimination and Reprogramming Technique (A/SERT)

We use A/SERT here at Whole Body Health as another method to remedy allergy symptoms. A/SERT, a simple and noninvasive technique, is based on the recognition that all things, animate and inanimate, have their own specific electromagnetic fields which interact with one another.  It is this electromagnetic energy which is associated with the meridians (energy pathways) in acupuncture and Chi in Chinese Medicine. Your energy pathways freeze up to defend your body against the identified substance and this, in turn, blocks your energy meridians.  For more information on A/SERT, click HERE.

If you’re experiencing the seasonal allergies and Western medicine has not provided you with relief or you’re looking to take a more natural approach, contact us for a consultation today!